Heating device



Nov. 9, 1943. T. E. TURNER 2,333,751

HEATING DEVICE Filed Aug. 12, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 30 4/ l g; 27 Z. I?i I I 2 Id Nov. 9, 1943. 4

T. E. TURNER HEATING DEVICE Filed Aug. 12, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR Z/Iomas 5. 721mm A TO EY Patented Nov. 9, 1943 UNITED. STATESPATENT OFFICE 2,333,751 HEATING DEVICE Thomas E. Turner, Mounds, Okla. l

Application August 12, 1940, Serial No. 352,197

Claims.

This invention relates to heating devices and more particularly toheating devices for tanks designed to store oil whereby the oil may beconditioned to effect settling out of water and socalled bottomsettlings without the use of chemicals and/or steam as is ordinarily thepractice, and in such a manner that the oil is maintained at atemperature suitable for ready passage of the oil into flow lines fromthe storage tank; the principal objects of the present invention beingto provide a convenient, relativel economical and highly efficientheating device of the character noted; and to provide improved elementsand arrangements of such elements in a heating device of the characterand for the purpose noted.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention, Ihave provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of whichis illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a tank equipped with a heating deviceembodying the features of the present invention, parts of the devicebeing broken away to better illustrate its construction.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section through the tank and heating deviceillustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan View of the tank and heating device shown inFigure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross section through the tank and heatingdevice substantially on the line 4-4, Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the tank support and foundation illustratedin Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a detail horizontal cross section substantially on the line66, Figure 1, particularly illustrating the adjustable and demountablenature of the shell.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I generally designates a heating device embodying the features of thepresent invention which is preferably employed in connection with andfor heating the contents of a tank 2.

In oil producing practice, it is customary to pump oil and other fluidsfrom wells periodically and to store such fluids until such time as itis desired to sell or use the fluids. In cold weathr the fluids, andvparticularly oil, become thick and sluggish and do not flow freely.Water and undesirable sediments also are carried in the thick oil. Asabove indicated, it is desirable, in accordance with this invention, toheat the oil to facilitate settling out of water and undesirableconstituents from the oil to the bottom of the tank containing suchfluids.

To this end, the tank 2 which may be of suitedge of the base 6.

able size and construction, is mounted on a spider 3, Figure 5, whichpreferably includes arms 4 that radiate from a central support 5 andterminate in overlying relation to a base 6 of concrete or the like thatis set in the ground I. The base 6 is dished to provide a sump 8, thesump being provided with a drain 9 to carry off oil in case the tank 2should leak or overflow, and to thus obviate the danger of fires orexplosions. The sump 8 is also provided with a heated air inlet duct Inwhich conducts air into the sump from a point or points exteriorly ofthe sump. Air in the duct I0 is heated by a furnace II that ispreferably suitably insulated and arranged a suitable distance from thetank for further 0bviating the danger of fire and explosions.

Mounted on the base 6 preferably at the upper edge thereof and inupstanding surrounding relation to the tank 2 is a layer of insulationl2, the insulation being arranged inspaced relation to the tank 2 toprovide an air space I3 between the tank and insulation.

In order to support the insulation 12 a preferably sectional shell, orjacket I4 is provided, which preferably consists of metal or like sheetsl5, the side and end edges of which are preferably turned outwardly toprovide flanges Ni, ii, iii and I9. The lower end flanges of the sheetsare preferably secured as by fastening devices 2l to the upper The sideflanges of the sheets are preferably secured together, as by fasteningdevices 22, Figure 4, and the upper end flanges of the sheets aresecured. as by fastening devices 23, to a ring-like plate 24 that ishorizontally arranged substantially in a plane coincident with the upperedges of the jacket plates, the insulation and the side walls 25 of thetank 2. The tank walls 25 also preferably have outwardly turned edges toform flanges, the lower tank wall flanges being secured as b fasteningdevices 26 to a bottom wall formedby a plate 21 that rests in supportedrelation on the spider 3. The upper tank side wall flanges are secured,as at 21, to a top wall 28 for the tank and to the inner periphery ofthe ring plate 24.

The sides and bottom of the tank 2 are thus enclosed by the insulatedjacket and base in such a manner as to provide air spaces below andaround the tank, the radial arms 4 of the spider directing heated airadmitted to the sump through the duct l0 throughout the whole area ofthe bottom wall 27 of the tank and over all the area of the side wallsof the tank to effectively accomplish heating of the contents of thetank and, where such contents are oil, water and bottom settlings, toefiectively accomplish settling out of the water and settlings from theoil.

In order to regulate the heat within the insulated jacket about thetank, the ring plate it is provided with tubes preferably of a numberequal to the radial tank supporting arms and further preferably arrangedbetween such arms, as shown in Figure 3. The tubes 38 preferably opendownwardly at their outer ends into the heated air space l3 and allowexit of heated air under control of dampers 3!, the heated. air passingthrough the tubes 30 into a centrally arranged stack 32 as by the inletopenings 33 therein, the heated air subsequently passing oil intoatmosphere or to other points for suitable disposition.

It is desirable to control the amount of heat to be applied to the oilor other contents of the tank 2 in order to economize on fuel and inorder further to properly condition the oil. A thermostat control 35,Figure 2, is, therefore, preferably mountedin aside .wall of the tank,which control s adapted. to -actthrough ar-linett' extending fromtheside walls of the tank through the side walls of the jacket toathermostat 31, Figure 1, of a,,.cons,truction suitable foroperatingavalve 38.;in a fuel supplydinetllleading to thefurnace ll Aesuitableinlet ll and a suitable outlet 42 for the tank.2 are also preferablyprovided to supply the, tank with, fluids from aiwell and to allowflowof conditioned oil from the tank. A-suitable drain :43,for water andbottom settlings is also providedfor the tank.

The. operation, of a. heating. device constructed as: describedis asfollows:

Well fluids are applied to thetank 2 through the inlet-M toasuitable'level'inrthe tank. It is knownthat temperature affects thecondition of the oilandthat higher temperatures cause the oilto flowfreely while lower temperatures cause the oil to congealinto arelatively thick mass. As explained above, it has heretofore been thepractice totreat the oil with chemicals and/or apply steamto the oil inorder to effect a separation of undesirable constituents entrained inthe oil. In thepresent instancethe furnace l I is actuated to causeheated air to flow-through the duct it into thesumpp8cof the base 6below the tank, the radial, arm. supports. directing such heated airthroughoutithe sump below the tank and up around theside wallsof;thetank between the outwardly spaced insulatedheated air jacket andthetank. The heated air thus substantially surrounds-the-tankandheatsthe oil therein to facilitate separation of the undesirable constituentsofthe oil, which settleidownwardl on to the bottom wall of the tank.Excesses of heated air pass. through the tubes 30 under control of thedampers 3| and pass into thestack 32 where they are suitably disposedof. When th temperature. of the oil reaches a predetermined degree thatis suitable for this purpose, and in order to, conserve fuel and. avoidunnecessary waste thereof, the thermostatic control 35 acts on thethermostat 37 in such a manneras to actuate the valve 38 and limitpassage of fuel through the line 39 to the furnace l l in quantitiessufiicient to supply only the necessary amounts of heated airrto thesump 8 below and the heated air space around the tankZ.

Due to the arrangement of furnace, the jacket, the tubes and the stack,relative to the tank 2 and base 6, it is apparent that should it bedesired to move those elements of the present heatingidevice fromonetank to another, the heating device may be readily disassembled andmoved to another desired location, it being further apparent thatsections or sheets of the jacket may be added to or subtracted from thenumber provided for one tank and that the jacket may thus be adjusted toa size desired for another tank at another location. Another advantagein this arrangement is that should it be desired to move the tank 2 toanother location, the heating device may be readily movedcalong. withthe tank either in assembled oridisassembled' relation to the tank tosuch other location.

It is apparent, therefore, that I have provided 'a convenient,relatively economical and highly efiicient heating device of thecharacter and for the purpose above noted.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a tank, a base supportingthe tank and having a housing arranged below the bottom wall of thetank, a spider in the housing, meansxfor intro-- ducing a heating mediumto: the housing. near. the center of the spider for heatingthe contentsof the tank, and meansadjacent the confines ofr the housing and havingcommunication therewith for exhausting heatingmedium therefrom, saidspider having arms radiating approximate-' ly from the center of thebottomrwall ofthetank: to the confines'of the-housingon' said basefor:directly supporting the tank and for directing; heat acrossthe'bottomof' said tank.

2. In an apparatusoftheicharacter described; a tank, a jacketsurroundingthe tank andspaced from the sides and bottomwall ofstheitank;an spider in the space between the jacket-and :the bottom wall of thetank;andzlmeans-for-introeducing a heating:mediumutovthejacket:neam thecenter of the-spider for heating .the:contents of the tank, said spiderhaving arms radiating approximately from thew-center of the bottom wallof the tank for directly'supporting thetank and for directingheat'across the" bottom: of said tank.

3, In an apparatus'of' the character described, a tank, a basesupporting the tankxand having: a housing arranged below 'the bcttomiwall'ofthe tank, a jacket surroundingthe'tank:and space'di therefrom,the jacket communicating withzisaid housing, a spider in the housing,and"means' for introducing a heating medium'cto the housings under andnear the center Of. the spider for heating the contents. of the tank;.saidzspide'rhaving; arms radiating approximately from the-center of thebottom wall of the tank to. the-confines-ofe the housing on said basefor.directlyrsupporting the tank and for directing heat' acrossr hebot-rtomof said tank.

4. In an apparatus of the character: described, a tank, a basesupporting the'tank and having-. a housing arrangedbelow the-:bottomofrthe. tank, a jacket surrounding the tankand spaced therefrom, thejacket communicating. with. said housing, a spider in the housing,meansrfor in-etroducing a heating medium to thehousing;:

under and near the center. of the spider for heat-:-

ing the direction of passage of the heating medium through the jacket.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a tank, a base having ahousing arranged below the bottom wall of the tank and having outerconfines spaced from the side walls of the tank, a jacket mounted on thebase and having communication therewith, said jacket being formed ofsections having outwardly directed flanges, insulating means secured tothe inner surface sections, fastening means securing the jacket sectionstogether in surrounding and insulating relation to the side walls ofsaid tank in spaced relation thereto, a spider in the housing, means forintroducing a heating medium to the housing under and near the center ofthe spider for heating the contents of the tank, said spider having armsradiating approximately from the center of the bottom wall of the tankto the confines of the housing of said base for directly supporting thetank and for directing heat across the bottom of said tank, tubesleading from the jacket for exhausting heating medium from the jacket,and means for selectively con trolling passage of heating medium throughsaid tubes for regulating the direction of the passage of the heatingmedium through the jacket.

THOMAS E. TURNER.

